Multiple panel merchandise receptacle for a merchandise vending machine



Sept. 12. 1967 v N. G. WEITZMAN 3,341,267

MULTIPLE PANEL MERCHANDISE RECEPTACLE FOR A MERCHANDISE VENDING MACHINE Filed June 2, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 9 INVENTOR. NoeMn/v 6K WE/TZMA/V Sept. 12, 1967 FOR A MERCHANDISE VENDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1;

Filed June 2, 1965 FIG.6

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United States Patent f 3,341,267 MULTIPLE PANEL MERCHANDISE RECEPTACLE FOR A MERCHANDISE VENDING MACHINE Norman G. Weitzman, Arnold J. Provisor, 16401 Knapp St., Sepulveda, Calif. 91343 Filed June 2, 1965, Ser. No. 460,687 17 Claims. (Cl. 312-35) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A vending machine merchandise receptacle having corner post members which receive multiple transparent panel members. These panel members are set within a top rim which connects the corner post members, and are secured in position by downward pressure applied'by a receptacle cover. The receptacle cover is locked downward by an internal tie-rod locking device.

Generally speaking, the present invention relates to the merchandise vending machine art and, more particularly, pertains to a merchandise receptacle or cabinet for such a merchandise vending machine, which is of a multiple panel type wherein each panel is usually made of a transparent material (such as glass or the like) and is of very simple, substantially flat construction mounted by rigid, and usually metallic, upstanding framework means, thus providing a merchandise receptacle of a very simple construction and having a variety of advantages as follows. First, because any of the panels may be individually removed from the framework means, this makes it possible to lay the receptacle down on its side when full of merchandise and to remove an upper panel and place premium or prize articles on the merchandise within the receptacle immediately below the level of the removed panel so that when said panel is replaced in position and the merchandise receptacle is again placed in its normal erect position, said premium or prize articles will be locked immediately inside of said panel for ready viewing by a prospective customer. This may be done with respect to each of the removable panels of the novel merchandise receptacle of the present invention and, thus, makes it possible to very simply provide a display of the premium or prize articles of a maximum degree of effectiveness by reason of their exterior positioning immediately inside of any or all of the transparent panels after replacement thereof into the fully assembled merchandise receptacle.

The above-described highly advantageous feature of the invention has been virtually impossible of achievement in the past with conventional prior art one-piece merchandise receptacles wherein the only means of even partially achieving this maximum display effectiveness of the premium or prize articles has been to reach into a conventional unitary or one-piece prior art merchandise receptacle from a top entry opening thereinto and to attempt to forcibly position the premium or prize articles along the outside of the remainder of the merchandise articles within the receptacle. Using this prior art procedure, it has only been possible to partially achieve the maximum display effectiveness desired with respect to said premium or prize articles, and this has been achieved only as a result of the expenditure of considerable time and effort in following the above-mentioned prior art procedure.

However, the full maximum display effectiveness with respect to such premium or prize articles can be achieved very quickly and easily with the novel multiple panel merchandise receptacle of the present invention by following the sequential panel removal and premium or prize article insertion procedure described hereinbefore and, in addition to saving a great deal of time and effort as compared to prior art efforts to achieve the same effect,

3,341,267 Patented Sept. 12, 1967 a superior result is easily attainable with the novel multiple panel merchandise receptacle of the present invention.

An additional very important advantage of the novel multiple panel merchandise receptacle of the present invention is the fact that it is superior to the conventional prior art one-piece transparent plastic merchandise receptacle often used because of certain advantages thereof, and is also superior to conventional prior art unitary or integral glass merchandise receptacles. Its advantage over a conventional, prior art, unitary, transparent plastic merchandise receptacle lies in the fact that such a plastic merchandise receptacle is relatively scratchable by reason of the relative softness of the plastic material of which it is made and, therefore, after being used for a relatively short period of time, it will become scratched, and this unfavorably affects the appearance thereof and the light transmission characteristics thereof, both of which are important to a prospective customer of a merchandise vending machine, in the first case having a great deal to do with whether the customer finds the display attractive enough to cause him to insert a coin and buy an article of merchandise and, in the second case, being important in order to enable the prospective customer to properly view the merchandise contained Within the merchandise receptacle. Therefore, such easily scratchable prior art plastic merchandise receptacles of unitary construction have to be replaced frequently in order to overcome these prior art difficulties and disadvantages.

A conventional, prior art, unitary, one-piece glass merchandise receptacle, because of the extreme brittleness and frangibility thereof, must have the cooperating portions of the merchandise vending machine somewhat modified in order to properly support and engage edge portions of the open top and bottom thereof in order to make an attempt (often unsuccessful) to minimize any likelihood of breaking the glass thereof. However, despite the very best efforts, such glass merchandise receptacles are frequently broken and then must be replaced, which is relatively costly since it is a costly operation to produce a unitary, one-piece glass merchandise receptacle of the size and shape required for such a merchandise vending machine.

Careful consideration of the above-mentioned prior art problems and disadvantages of both of the above-mentioned types of prior art merchandise receptacles makes it immediately apparent that, because of the transparent glass material of each of the panels of the novel multiple panel merchandise receptacle of the present invention, and because of the intrinsic hardness of such glass, virtually no scratching of any of the glass will occur, and, therefore, the appearance and light transmission characteristics of the complete, assembled, multiple panel merchandise receptacle will remain in an optimum condition for a relatively long period of time during use and will not require frequent replacement in the above-mentioned manner of conventional, prior art, unitary, transparent plastic merchandise receptacles.

Also, because each of the panels of the novel multiple panel merchandise receptacle of the present invention is relatively small and does not comprise a large, curved, complete, unitary, glass merchandise receptacle of the above-mentioned prior art type, it is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture by conventional glass panel production techniques and, thus, the over-all cost of the plaurality of panels of the novel, multiple panel merchandise receptacle of the present invention will be very much less than the conventional cost of such a complete, prior art, unitary, glass merchandise receptacle. Furthermore, because of the fact that each glass panel of the present invention is very much smaller in over-all area than the above-mentioned conventional, prior art, type of onepiece, unitary merchandise receptacle, and further because of the fact that it is supported at side edges thereof by the novel, rigid, metallic framework means of the present invention in addition to being supported at the bottom by a coupling adaptor connected to a conventional hopper means of a merchandise vending machine and at the top by a rigid, strong, top fastening rim and ring, the likelihood of any of the glass panels being broken is reduced to an absolute minimum which is very much less than the likelihood of breakage of a conventional prior art, complete, unitary, glass merchandise receptacle occurring. Also, the firm support provided to each glass panel at the side edges by the above-mentioned rigid, metallic framework means and at the top and bottom by the above-mentioned top fastening ring and the conventional hopper means of the merchandise vending machine, respectively, is such as to substatially prevent the glass panel from shattering and separating into several pieces of broken glass in the undesirable manner of a unitary blown prior art glass receptacle in the event that it becomes broken, since the complete engagement of all four edges of the glass panel tends to hold the glass in place even if it should become cracked and would normally otherwise shatter into several separate pieces. This highly desirable feature of the invention is further enhanced by reason of the fact that, in one exemplary improved form of the invention, each of the glass panels carries compressible elastomeric edge gasket means along all four edges thereof and that said edge gasketed glass panel is placed under substantial vertical compression when mounted between the above-mentioned conventional hopper means of a merchandise vending machine at the bottom and the above-mentioned permanent closure cover fixedly fastened over the top gasketed edge of each of said glass panels and tied by a central tie rod means to the base of the conventional merchandise vending machine. This vertical compression and complete edge retention of all four edges of each glass panel tends to hold the panel together even if it becomes cracked in a number of places.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the top of the above-mentioned rigid metallic framework means slidably supporting side edges of each of the glass panels is connected together in a rigid, strong manner by a rigid, strong top fastening rim and ring, thus providing a rigid framework and top ring structure rigidly connected at the bottom by the coupling adaptor mentioned above to the above-mentioned conventional hopper means of the merchandise vending machine in a manner which virtually prevents a frequently employed prior art method for stealing coins in a coin receiving receptacle conventionally positioned in the lower portion of a conventional merchandise vending machine and which, in the past, has comprised breaking the merchandise receptacle, whether of the previously mentioned unitary plastic or unitary glass types, which would then normally make it possible to easily enter the lower metallic portion of the merchandise vending machine and gain access to the coin receptacle thereof for removal of the coins or, in certain cases, to disengage the complete merchandise vending machine from its fixed mounting and attachment with respect to a supporting standard so that the entire vending machine could be easily stolen. In the case of prior art vending machines, this has been possible because the only locking provided "between the permanent top closure cover over a merchandise receptacle and the conventional metallic base portion of the merchandise vending machine has been provided by a central tie rod, supplemented in the case of glass globes, by additional laterally displaced tie rods. It is apparent that if the merchandise receptacle is broken and removed, then the permanent type closure cover may be downwardly slidably moved from the conventional key-operated top fastening and locking means normally carried by the top closure over in a manually inaccessible manner so that it may then be finger-operated without the key normally quired for operating same, thus allowing the merchandise vending machine to be completely disassembled and/ or removed, if desired.

All of the above-mentioned prior art disadvantages and problems, with respect to unauthorized entry into the coin receptacle of a merchandise vending machine and/or unauthorized and/or removal of the merchandise vending machine, are substantially completely prevented by the novel multiple panel merchandise receptacle of the present invention by reason of the above-mentioned upstanding rigid metallic framework means and rigid, strong, top fastening rim and ring which are not eliminated or removed from their vertical positioning, maintaining the complete machine in locked relationship, in the event that one or more of the glass window panels thereof should be purposely broken away through the use of a hammer or the like by a person desiring to gain unauthorized access to the interior of the vending machine for the purpose of stealing coins and/or the complete machine itself. This will not be possible even if all of the glass window panels are broken out, since the framework will remain in place and maintain the top closure cover fastened thereover and will maintain the framework means, the coupling adaptor means, and the conventional hopper means of the merchandise vending machine all in permanently fastened relationship with respect to the lower or base portion of the merchandise vending machine in a manner which completely prevents unauthorized access to the coin receptacle thereof and/or completely prevents unauthorized removal of the merchandise vending machine itself from a supporting standard or the like to which it is conventionally afiixed.

Of course, it should be noted that, while the above generally defines certain major advantage of a preferred exemplary form of the invention, it should be clearly noted that the multiple panel form of merchandise receptacle of the present invention is advantageous in itself, irrespective of the specific advantages referred to above and, in certain forms of the invention, the multiple panels may be made of materials other than glass and also, in certain forms of the invention, may be other than completely transparent. Either or both of these modifications may occur independently or simultaneously.

In addition to the above major features of the present invention, it also pertains to a novel top fastening rim or ring for the multiple panel merchandise receptacle referred to above wherein said rim has a fold-away carrying handle which may be folded down against said top fastening rim so as to be completely inoperative and unobtrusive and to not in any way interfere with the fastening to said rim of a conventional permanent type closure cap or cover means, which is normally locked and fastened thereover when the merchandise vending machine is positioned at a merchandising location ready for mechandising operation. Under such circumstances, the fold-away carrying handle is inoperative and completely out of sight.

However, when a route operator or service man, who regularly checks such vending machines and normally removes coins from a money receptacle and/or provides a fresh supply of merchandise for the vending machine, makes a call, he will normally unlock and remove the permanent type top closure cover means, and he will effectively interchange the complete merchandise receptacle and, in some cases, the complete merchandise vending machine also, with a fresh merchandise receptacle, or complete merchandise vending machine, which has already been filled with fresh merchandise. This eliminates the necessity of the service man handling the merchandise and refilling a partially empty merchandise receptacle at a merchandising location. It has been found that such interchanging operations are faster and more sanitary and, in those instances where the complete merchandise vending machine is so interchanged, the coin or money recep tacle portion of the machine need not be opened by the service man at the mercandising location, but may be returned unopened to the factory or central money-re moving and counting depot or location. This has advantages of the same type referred to'above with respect to the interchanging of the merchandise receptacle, which eliminates the necessity of the service man actually handling the merchandise in order to remove old merchandise and replace same with fresh merchandise at the actual route location. In other words, this arrangement eliminates any necessity for the service man, at the actual merchandising machine location, handling and removing coins from the coin receptacle.

It should be clearly noted that the improved apparatus of the present invention, comprising the above-mentioned top fastening rim having the above-mentioned foldaWay carrying handle, may be employed under either types of circumstances briefly referred to abovethat is, where only the merchandise receptacle itself is interchanged and/ or wherein the complete merchandise vending machine is interchanged, and, in either case, the unlocking and removal of the permanent closure cover means may be required in order to make it possible to remove the merchandise receptacle for such interchanging thereof and/or to make it possible to remove the complete merchandise vending machine for such interchanging thereof.

Normally, a' service man servicing a route comprising a plurality of such merchandise vending machines stationed at a plurality of different merchandise vending locations will start on his route with a plurality of such replacement merchandise receptacles, and/or complete merchandise vending machines, with the receptacles having been previously factory prefilled with fresh merchandise and, in order to avoid inadvertent loss of any of such merchandise as a result of any jostling movement being imparted thereto during the transporting of same along the route to each of the plurality of merchandise vending machines stationed at merchandising locations, it is desirable to provide some sort of temporary or auxiliary service cap or cover over the open top of each merchandise receptacle until it replaces its corresponding merchandise receptacle which has been previously stationed at any of said plurality of merchandising locations. Also, such a temporary or auxiliary service cap for each of the open replacement merchandise receptacles will prevent contamination of the fresh merchandise therein by any exterior foreign matter, since such exterior foreign matter will be prevented from entry into the openings of said replacement merchandise receptacles by said temporary auxiliary service caps or covers thereover.

The above-described temporary use of such temporary auxiliary service caps or covers may also be desirable for the original merchandise receptacles removed from their route locations and returned to the factory or central supply depot by the service man.

It will readily be understood that whenever either an original merchandise receptacle at any one of said plurality of merchandising locations is to be lifted, moved, or placed in the service mans automobile or truck for return to the main factory or supply depot, and whenever any of said replacement merchandise receptacles is to be transported, lifted, and/or moved at any time during the transporting thereof from the central factory or main supply depot to each of the plurality of merchandise vending machines, and when there, is to be lifted and fastened to the base portion of the corresponding merchandise vending machine and/ or to fixed supporting means adapted to carry same, the previously mentioned fold-away carrying handle mounted on the top fastening rim of the present invention becomes extremely useful since it may be pivotally swung into a vertical plane and manually grasped for handling, moving, and/or carrying any one of said merchandise receptacles 'and/ or complete merchandise vending machines under certain circumstances.

It will be noted that an important feature of the novel fold-away carrying handle of the present invention is the fact that it has portions which act to fasten and hold the previously mentioned temporary or auxiliary service cap or cover over the open top of the corresponding merchandise receptacle as long as desired so that it will not accidentally become dislodged therefrom and yet which will readily allow manual removal of the corresponding temporary auxiliary service cap or cover from the open top of the corresponding merchandise receptacle whenever desired and prior to replacement over said open top of said merchandise receptacle of the previously mentioned permanent type closure cap or cover means, which, of course, is not done until the fold-away handle is folded down into horizontal engagement with a corresponding half portion of the fastening rim carried by the top of said merchandise receptacle.

It should be clearly noted that in the discussion above and hereinafter with respect to the use of the carrying handle for carrying purposes, normally, it will carry only the upper portion of the complete merchandise vending machine which might be called a service head and which includes the previously mentioned conventional merchandise vending machine hopper means, the previously mentioned coupling adapter fastened thereover, the previously mentionedupstanding metallic framework means fastened over said coupling adapter and carrying the slidably removable glass window panels therebetween, and the previously mentioned rigid, strong, top fastening rim and ring fastened to the top of said metallic framework means, usually with the previously mentioned temporary or auxiliary service cap or cover positioned over said top fastening rim or ring in lieu of the previously removed permanent type closure cap or cover means, although, in certain cases, said service. head may be carried by said carrying handle without said temporary or auxiliary service cap or cover thereover.

The above is the usual mode of carrying use of said carrying handle. However, under certain'circumstances, it may be desired to use the carrying handle for carrying the entire merchandise vending machine, and in such cases, this may be accomplished through the use of additional coupling connector, fastening or clamping means for effectively connecting the, previously mentioned merchandise vending machine hopper means to the lower or base portion of a merchandise vending machine, and where reference is made hereinbefore and/ or hereinafter to the carrying of the complete merchandise vending machine by the carrying handle means, it is to be understood that such an arrangement, or functional equivalent thereof is employed.

The above-mentioned temporary or auxiliary service cap or cover is normally positioned over the open top of the merchandise receptacle and retained thereover by the previously mentioned retaining portions of the carrying handle, whether in carrying position or in folded away non-use position, whenever the complete service head is placed on its side so that an upper one of the glass window panels can be slidably removed (which, of course, requires the previous removal of the permanent type closure cover means) so that the receptacle, which may already be full of merchandise or which may then be filled with merchandise, may then have premium or prize articles placed on the merchandise within the receptacle immediately below the level of the removed I glass window panel so that when the panel is replaced in position and the merchandise receptacle is again placed in its normal erect position, said premium or prize articles will be locked immediately inside of the glass window panel for ready viewing by a prospective customer, as generally mentioned hereinbefore. Of course, this may be done with respect to each of the different glass window panels, and the function of the temporary or auxiliary closure cap is to retain the merchandise within the merchandise receptacle and prevent it from spilling out of the otherwise open top thereof, which is temporarily at the side of the merchandise receptacle when the abovedescribed premium or prize article positioning operation is performed.

Additionally, it should be noted that the hereinbeforementioned framework means of the present invention comprises extruded longitudinal corner post members or means which can be extruded and/ or cut off to any desired length, thus correspondingly varying the vertical height of the complete framework means. It should also be noted that, correspondingly, the glass window panels can be cut to any desired length from conventional inexpensive plate glass so as to properly fit the corresponding extruded corner post members. Also, the edge gasket means for each of the window panel edges may similarly be made of extruded elastomeric gasket material cut to the required length to encompass all four edges of a glass window panel of any desired length. These three lengthadjustable features of the invention make it possible to vary the over-all size of the multi-panel merchandise receptacle of the present invention by merely increasing the height thereof and in a manner which requires no additional tooling and virtually no additional expense except for the very slight additional material employed. It will be noted that such an increased volume multipanel merchandise receptacle (made by increasing the height thereof) will fit the same coupling adaptor at the bottom and the same permanent type closure cover and/ or temporary or auxiliary cover or cap at the top thereof and, thus, said elements need not be modified at all in order to provide a larger or smaller merchandise receptacle, although, of course, they may be laterally or horizontally enlarged in certain forms of the invention, if desired.

With the above points in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide novel apparatus of the charao ter referred to herein having any or all of the advantages referred to herein, generically and/r specifically, and individually or in combination, and which is of extremely simple, inexpensive construction adapted for ready mass manufacture at very low cost whereby to be conducive to widespread use thereof.

Further objects are implicit in the detailed description which follows hereinafter (which is to be considered as exemplary of, but not specifically limiting, the present invention), and said objects will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after a careful study of the detailed description which follows hereinafter.

For the purpose of clarifying the nature of the present invention, one exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the hereinbelow-described figures of the accompanying two sheets of drawings and is described in detail hereinafter.

FIG. 1 is a reduced-size, exterior, three-dimensional, pictorial view illustrating one typical exemplary form of merchandise vending machine carrying one particular exemplary novel form of the multiple panel merchandise receptacle of the present invention at the top thereof and, immediately thereover and in normally closing relationship with respect to the otherwise open top of said merchandise receptacle, a permanent type closure cap or cover means, which is normally locked thereover after the merchandise receptacle is filled with any desired type of merchandise which is to be controllably vended by the merchandise vending machine in response to the insertion of the proper amount of money, in the form of one or more coins, into the coin-receiving apparatus, followed by the subsequent operation of the dispensing means, which is made possible by the receipt of said proper amount of money. However, the invention is not limited to the particular type of merchandise vending machine illustrated, but may be employed with a great variety of different types of merchandise vending machines.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partly broken away view with vertically, centrally intermediate portions removed for drawing space saving reasons, taken substantially along the plane indicated by the arrows 2-2 of FIG. 1 and only illustrates the right side of the structure. In other words, said sectional view does not extend completely across the apparatus on the plane indicated by the arrows 2-2 of FIG. 1. This view clearly illustrates the normal mounting of the permanent type top closure cap or cover means over the otherwise open top of the merchandise receptacle, with the fold-away carrying handle mounted on the fastening rim of the apparatus of the present invention being in its horizontal, inoperative, fold-away position, which in no way interferes with the fastening of said permanent type closure cap thereover.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view, taken substantially along the plane 3-3 of FIG. 1, illustrating two corners of the lower portion of the multiple panel merchandise receptacle of the present invention, showing parts of three adjacent transparent glass panels thereof, and showing two of the four upstanding corner post means of the intermediate upstanding framework means which removably mounts the four glass panel members.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged, partially broken away sectional view similar in many respects to FIG. 3, but is taken in the opposite direction, substantially on the plane indicated by the arrows 44 of FIG. 1, and fragmentarily illustrates the same two opposed corner post means as the two corner post means fragmentarily illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is another enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view with certain portions broken away and removed for reasons of drawing simplicity and clarity, and is taken substantially on the staggered line plane indicated by the arrows 55 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with the permanent type top closure cover removed therefrom in order to show the four upper edges of the four glass panels of the merchandise receptacle of the present invention, a portion of the top fastening rim carried at the top of the upstanding framework means, the foldaway handle carried by said top fastening rim, which is "shown in its folded away non-use position, and also clearly showing the upper ends of the four corner post means of said upstanding framework means which removably mount the four glass panels. However, it should be clearly noted that, while the permanent type closure cap or cover has been removed from the merchandise receptacle, as shown in FIG. 6, a temporary auxiliary service cap or cover means has been temporarily positioned across the otherwise open top of the merchandise receptacle and the top fastening rim and is temporarily held in covering relationship thereover by the fold-away carrying handle in particular, by the inwardly alignedly directed retaining projections of said carrying handle which pivotally mount it with respect to the top fastening rim.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, partly broken away view, taken substantially on a plane indicated by the arrows 7-7 of FIG. 6 and shows certain upper portions of the apparatus in vertical section and shows certain portions thereof in full elevation.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7, but shows the temporary auxiliary service cap or cover means of FIGS. 6 and 7 after it has been shifted into a position such as to allow disengagement thereof from the top fastening rim and the inwardly projecting retaining end portions of the carrying handle. In other words, this position shows said temporary auxiliary cover or cap in an intermediate position with respect to either engagement or disengagement thereof relative to the top fastening rim.

FIG. 9 is a partially broken away three-dimensional view, taken from a position generally similar to FIG. 1, illustrating an exemplary one of the four transparent glass panels of the novel multiple panel receptacle means of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partly broken away view, taken substantially on the plane indicated by 9 the arrows 1010 of FIG. 1 and illustrates one exemplary type of key-operated fastening and locking means.

One exemplary formof the novel multiple panel merchandise receptacle of the present invention is generally indicated at 22 and is adapted to be carried by a merchandise vending machine, one exemplary and non-specifically limiting type of which is generally indicated at 24, as is best shown in FIG. 1.

It will be noted that the exemplary type of merchandise receptacle 22 illustrated in the figures is substantially rectangular as seen in top plan view or as seen in horizontal section at any selected horizontal plane thereacross. However, while the exemplary form is of the configuration just described, it is to be understood that this is exemplary only and that the novel multiple panel merchandise recep tacle of the present invention may assume a variety of different shapes and/ or sizes and the number of panels and/or the individual shapes thereof may also be modified substantially, with all of such arrangements of the present invention being intended to be included and comprehended herein.

In the exemplary arrangement illustrated, the merchandise receptacle 22 is shown as having four similar, transparent glass panels, each of which is generally designated by the reference numeral 26 and each of which is of similar, substantially flat, planar, rectangular configuration and, because of the transparent nature thereof, may be said to comprise window panel members, each having vertically spaced, substantially parallel top and bottom edges 28 and 30, respectively, and each having horizontally spaced, substantially parallel side edges 32 adapted to be effectively vertically slidably received within each corresponding facing pair of vertically directed receiving channel portions 34 of each corresponding laterally spaced adjacent pair of a set of four corner post members or means, each of which is generally designated at 36, of intermediate upstanding framework means, generally designated at 38, and comprising all four of said upstanding corner post members or means 36.

The arrangement is such that opposite side edges 32 of each of the four window panel members 26 is vertically slid-ably mounted within each vertical transversely spaced facing pair of said receiving channel portions 34 of the corner post members 36 of the framework means 38 so that any one of said window panel members 26 can be vertically slidably moved upwardly completely out of engagement with the corresponding adjacent pair of said corner post members or means 36 (of course, this is only possible after the permanent type closure or cap means 40 has been removed) and, when desired, any of said four window means 26 can be slidably re-engaged between the corresponding adjacent pair of corner post members or means 36 of said upstanding framework means 38 by merely inserting the opposite side edges 32 thereof into the two corresponding facing channel portions 34 and sliding the complete window panel member 26 downwardly into fully engaged relationship such as is clearly shown in FIG. 1.

Of course, it should be noted that, in the exemplary form illustrated, each of said window panel side edges 32, and also each of the top and bottom edges 28 and 30 thereof, are effectively provided with compressible, elas tomeric, continuously connected edge gasket means 42 therealong and completely around the edge of each of the four window panel members 26 so as to provide an effective seal when the complete multiple panel merchandise receptacle is in fully assembled, closed relationship. Incidentally, it should be noted that each of the four gasket means 42 has an inner lip portion 44 and an outer lip portion 46, with the inner lip portion 44 extending toward the center of the corresponding window panel member 26 to a greater extent than the outer lip portion 46, whereby to facilitate outward draining rather than inward draining of any possible moisture or liquid, such as condensation moisture or the like, which might deposit on the fully assembled multiple panel merchandise receptacle, thus acting to protect merchandise adapted to be contained within the hollow interior thereof from any such moisture, which will always tend to drain outwardly.

It should be noted that, in the exemplary arrangement illustrated, the intermediate upstanding framework means, generally designated at 38, is normally adapted to be effectively coupled with respect to, and effectively carried by, a bottom hopper means, such as is generally designated at 48, and which may be of any conventional merchandise vending machine type and which is normally removable from the lower or base portion 50 of the conventional merchandise vending machine generally designated at 24. In other words, the complete multiple panel merchandise receptacle 22 is removable along with said bottom hopper 48 from the base or bottom portion 50 of the conventional merchanise vending machine 24 whenever the permanent type closure cap or cover means 40 is removed from the top of the multiple panel merchandise receptacle 22 by inserting a key (not shown) into the key slot 52 of a fastening and locking means, generally indicated at 54, so that a central tie rod 56 becomes effectively disengaged from the permanent type closure cap or cover means 40'.

The removal of said complete merchandise receptacle 22, including the bottom hopper means 48 and also an intermediate coupling adaptor means, generally designated at 58, and which will be described hereinafter, is thus possible since said complete unit, which is sometimes referred to as the cabinet, is fastened with respect to the bottom portion 50 of the conventional merchandise vending machine 24 only by saidcentral tie rod 56 which has a lower portion (not shown) which passes centrally downwardly through an aperture (not shown) in said bottom hopper means 48 and then passes centrally down through the bottom portion 50 of the conventional vending machine 24 to the bottom or base wall thereof (not shown), where it is normally fixedly attached with respect thereto. In other words, said central tie rod 56 ties all portions of the complete, fully assembled vending machine, including the multiple panel merchandise receptacle 22, together, and the previously mentioned cabinet can be re moved as a unit when the fastening and locking means 54 is unlocked from the threaded upper end 60 of the tie rod 56 by inserting a key into the key slot 52 and rotating same.

In connection with the fastening and locking means 54, it should be noted that the threaded upper end 60 of the tie rod 56 is adapted to be controllably threadedly engaged within the interior threaded bore 62 of the previously mentioned fastening and locking means, generally designated at 54, and which comprises a cylindrical lower portion 64 rotatively received within the effectively cylindrical opening 66 in said top closure cover 40 and adapted to be rotated therein in response to the insertion into the key slot 52 of a proper key (not shown) as previously mentioned. In other words, the upper portion 68 of said fastening and locking means 54 comprises a downwardly directed boss fixedly carried underneath the permanent type closure cap or cover means 40, and which, in effect,

.comprises the non-rotatable outside of a rotatable lock having a plurality of tumbler means therein which nor-' mally protrude outwardly into the boss 68 and prevent rotation of the entire inner lock assembly carried above, and rotatable with, the interiorly threaded lower portion or bore 6'2. In other 'words, only insertion of the proper key in the key slot 52 will allow rotation of the interiorly threaded lower portion 62 of the fastening. and locking structure 54 within the boss 68 which will, of course, allow threaded relatively advancement of retraction with respect to the exteriorly threaded upper end portion 60 of the central tie rod 56 whereby to either draw the permanent type top closure cover means 40 firmly downwardly against the top gasketed panel edge 28 or to disengage same for removal of the top cover means 40.

In the exemplary form illustrated, the previously mentioned coupling adaptor means 58 is effectively interposed between the bottom hopper means 48 and said upstanding framework means 38, whereby to produce effective coupling of said bottom hopper means 48 with respect to said upstanding framework means 38 and, in the exemplary form illustrated, said three structures, that is, the bottom hopper means 48, the intermediate coupling adaptor means 58, and the upstanding framework means '38, are effectively vertically interconnected at each of the four corner portions thereof -by four common threaded self-tapping fastener screw means 72 which have their headed ends positioned against a bottom surface of an upper horizontal wall 73 of said bottom hopper means 48 and which have their threaded portions extending upwardly through the intermediate coupling adaptor means 58 and into engagement with the bottom of the framework means 38 by reason of self-tapping threaded engagement within corresponding upwardly extending apertures 74 in the bottom ends 76 of each of the four corner post means 36 of said upstanding framework means 38.

The previously mentioned top fastening rim or ring, generally designated at 70, has a lower, horizontally directed, substantially rectangular base portion 78 and an inwardly oifsetupstanding inner vertical wall portion 80. It will be noted that said top fastening rim and ring is provided with four substantially rectangularly spaced, corner-positioned fastening projections 82, extending outwardly therefrom into positions directly overlying the corresponding four top ends 84 of the four corner post members or means 36 and provided at said locations and junctions with four corresponding, downwardly directed, threaded, self-tapping fastener screw means 86, having their head ends positioned on the top surface of each of said comer-positioned fastening projections 82 of the top fastening rim 70 and each having its threaded shank portion extended downwardly into self-tapping, interiorly threaded relationship within the corresponding hole 88 carried in the upper end 84 of the corresponding corner post means or member 36, thus firmly fastening the top fastening rim 70, at each of the four corners thereof, to the four top ends 84 of the four corner post members or means 36 of the upstanding framework means 38.

It should be noted that the coupling adaptor 58 is provided with a pair of upwardly directed, integral alignment and registration pins 90 adapted to be received within a corresponding pair of apertures 82 extending upwardly into the bottom end 76 of each of the four corner post members or means 36 and that, similarly, each of the four corner-positioned fastening projections 82 of the top fastening rim 70 is provided with two downwardly directed, integral alignment and registration pins 94 adapted to be received within a corresponding pair of apertures 96 extending downwardly into the top end 84 of each of the four corner post members or means 36. Said alignment and registration pins 90 and 94 and the coresponding receiving apertures or holes 92 and 96 are for the purpose of providing positive alignment and registration of the coupling adaptor 58 at the bottom, the top fastening rim 70 at the top, and the intermediate four corner post :means 36 comprising the framework means 38 so that no relative twisting or misalignment thereof is possible.

It should be noted that the coupling adaptor means 58 is provided with four upwardly facing, receiving trough portions, rectangularly positioned and along edge portions thereof as exemplified by the one shown at 98 in FIG. 2. Each of said four rectangularly arranged receiving trough portions 98 is so positioned as to be adapted for receiving and compression sealing engagement with respect to the corresponding bottom edge portion of the sealing gasket means 42 carried by the bottom edge 30 of the corresponding window panel means 26, while at the same time the top portion thereof is in compression sealing engagement with espect to the underneath surface edge portion 100 of the permanent type top closure cap or cover means 40 when it is firmly fastened on top of the multiple panel merchandise receptacle 22 in the manner exteriorly shown in FIG. 1 and illustrated in fregmentary detail in FIG. 2. This provides a positive compression seal at both top and bottom edges of each window panel member 26 and, of course, the side edge portions thereof are also effectively sealed by reason of the firm engagement of side edge parts of the gasket 42 of each window panel 26 within the corresponding receiving channels 34 of each pair of upstanding extruded post members 36.

It will be noted that each of said trough portions 98 comprises an inner upstanding lip member 102, a bottom positioned transverse portion 104, and an outer, upstanding lip member 106, and that said outer upstanding lip member 106 terminates at a level below the termination of the inner lip member 102 whereby to facilitate the previously mentioned outward condensation water draining action described hereinbefore in connection with the similar configuration of the gasket means 42.

The water protection feature just referred to is further enhanced by the provision of an anti-drip bead 107 formed at the bottom of the outer edge of the coupling adaptor means 58, is is most clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, which acts to positively prevent the entry of any water or condensation moisture inwardly along the bottom surface of said coupling adaptor 58 into the horizontal junction between said coupling adaptor 58 and the conventional bottom hopper means 48.

In the exemplary form of the top fastening rim or ring means 70 illustrated, the inwardly offset, upwardly directed vertical wall portion thereof has opposite side parts (in the example illustrated, the two designated at 80'), provided with horizontally aligned apertures 108 which rotatively mount the inwardly alignedly directed projections 110 of a bail or handle member, generally designated at 112, and which, in the exemplary form il lustrated, is of generally rectangular configuration substantially corresponding to the shape of one half of the top fastening rim or ring means 70, whereby to be adapted to lie on said half portion thereof when folded-away into a horizontal plane, as is perhaps best shown in FIG. 6, wherein it will be noted that said bail or handle memher 112 is shaped in substantially exact correspondence with the shape of the corresponding portion of said top fastening and retaining ring or rim means 70 and lies in a position thereon such as to allow the previously mentioned permanent type closure cap or cover means 40 to be positioned thereover and to engage said rim or ring means 70 without being in any way interfered with by said folded-away bail or handle member 112. This relationship glgrobably most clearly shown in fragmentary form in However, it will readily be understood that when the permanent type closure cap or cover means 40 is removed by a service man, the bail or handle member 112 may be pivoted into an upstanding, operative, carrying position, such as is shown in phantom at 112 in FIG. 7, to allow it to be used for facilitating the lifting and carrying of either just the merchandise receptacle 22 (of course, including the coupling adaptor 58 and the bottom hopper 48) for the purposes previously detailed. This may be done without mounting a temporary auxiliary cover across the open top of the merchandise receptacle 22 and the top fastening rim or ring 70, or it may be done after the mounting thereacross of such a temporary auxiliary closure cover means or cap thereover for retention and protection purposes during the lifting, handling, and transporting of the merchandise receptacle 22, as previously outlined.

FIGS. 68, inclusive, illustrate such a temporary, auxiliary, resilient service cap or closure cover means, which is generally designated by the reference numeral 114, and which comprises a resilient panel member 116 having a single, downwardly directed edge 118 at one side thereof, adapted to he slipped over the corresponding, upstanding,

inwardly offset, single wall portion 80 and to then hav the central portion of said resilient panel member 116 forcibly resiliently deflected downwardly between the other two upstanding wall portions 80, while the complete temporary cover 114 is offset toward the right, as viewed in FIG. 8, and toward the top, as viewed in FIG. 6 (which, of course, is only possible when the handle 112 is in the up position) so that a pair of horizontally aligned, similar, outwardly facing edge slots 120 formed in the central portion of said auxiliary closure ca 114, will be vertically aligned with the inwardly directed retaining projections 110 of the handle member 112 so that said forcible downward deflection of said central portion of the panel member 116 will be permitted by reason of the passing of said slots 120 downwardly past said inwardly directed projections 110 and into a position below the level thereof, after which the complete auxiliary cover 114 must be slidably shifted from the previously mentioned offset position, which is best shown in FIG. 8, into a locking position such as is best shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 where said edge slots 120 are no longer vertically aligned with said handle projections 110. This will, of course, positively resiliently retain the temporary closure cap 114 over the top fastening rim 70 until the reverse action is performed for removal purposes. The above action is made possible by reason of the resilient nature of the material of which the temporary cover 114 is made.

The above-mentioned retention of the temporary closure cap 114 over the top fastening rim 70 by the inward directed retaining projections 110 of the handle member 112 may be further facilitated and enhanced and rendered even more positive by the provision of an upwardly directed locking lip or flange 121 formed out of thin-sheet resilient material of the central portion of the panel 116 of the auxiliary cover 114 along similar side edges of the slots 120 which are most closely adjacent to the downwardly directed edge 118 of said cover 114, thus providing the very positive type of locking action most clearly shown in FIG. 7.

Incidentally, it should be noted that pivoting the handle downwardly into the horizontal, fold-away, non-use position, engages the downwardly directed edge 118 of the temporary cover 114 in a locking manner which positively retains it in locked relationship. Also, it should be noted that, in certain forms of the invention, the central portion of the panel 116 of the auxiliary cover 114 may have an aperture, as indicated in phantom at 122, to allow the vertical passage therethrough of the reviously mentioned central tie rod member 56, and corresponding portions of the fastening and locking means 54, thus making it possible to leave the temporary cover 114 in place even when the permanent cover 40 is placed thereover and fastened by the fastening and locking means 54 to the upper end of the tie rod 56. This is an optional arrangement, and said hole 122. may be eliminated entirely, if desired. Of course, the temporary cover 114 will normally be of a type not having the phantom line hole 122, or having means for temporarily closing same, in the event that the premium or prize article placement operation referred to hereinbefore is to be performed since, otherwise, merchandise articles might tend to spill out of the merchandise vending machine through the hole 122 when the merchandise premium or prize article positioning operation as that referred to hereinbefore.

It should be understood that the figures and the specific description thereof set forth in this application are for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention to the precise and detailed specific structure shown in the figures and specifically described hereinbefore. Rather, the

real invention is intended to include substantially equiv- 14 chandise vending machine, comprising: a bottom hopper means; an intermediate upstanding framework means effectively coupled with respect to said bottom hopper means thereabove and extending upwardly therefrom to a predetermined extent; said upstanding framework means comprising a plurality of upstanding, substantially similar, parallel, spaced corner post members, each having a bottom end and a top end; a top fastening rim and ring of substantially the same shape as seen in plan view as that defined at a corresponding plurality of spaced locations by said top ends of said plurality of upstanding corner post members of said upstanding framework means, said top fastening rim and ring being provided with a corresponding plurality of corner-positioned fastening projections extending outwardly therefrom into positions directly overlying and fastened to the corresponding top ends of said plurality of corner post members of said upstanding framework means, each of said corner post members being provided with two angularly related receiving channel portions facing the corresponding receiving channel portion of the next laterally spaced adjacent corner post member and being substantially parallel thereto; a corresponding plurality of substantially rectangular panel members each having vertically spaced, substantially parallel top and bottom edges and horizontally spaced, substantially parallel side edges adapted to be effectively vertically slidably received within a corresponding and different facing pair of said vertically directed receiving channel portions of the corresponding laterally spacedly adjacent pair of said corner post members in closing relationship across the corresponding side of said framework means and controllably vertically slidably removable therefrom when desired; a permanenttype closure cover means provided with fastening and locking means for controllably removably fastening said permanent-type closure cover means immediately above and in retaining relationship with respect to said top edges of said panel members for effectively forcing said panel members downwardly into edge-mounted, positively re-.

tained relationship within each of said corresponding and different facing pairs of said vertically directed receiving channel portions of the corresponding, laterally spacedly adjacent pairs of said corner post members.

2. A multiple panel merchandise receptacle for a merchandise vending machine, comprising: a bottom hopper means; an intermediate upstanding framework means effectively coupled with respect to said bottom hopper means thereabove and extending upwardly therefrom to a predetermined extent; said upstanding framework means comprising a plurality of upstanding, substantially similar, parallel, spaced corner post members, each having a bottom end and a top end; a top fastening rim and ring of substantially the same shape as seen in plan view as th t defined at a corresponding plurality of spaced locations by said top ends of said plurality of upstanding corner post members of said upstanding framework means, said top fastening rim and ring being provided with a corresponding plurality of corner-positioned fastening projections extending outwardly therefrom into positions directly overlying and fastened to the corresponding top ends of said plurality of corner post members of said upstanding framework means, each of said corner post members being provided with two angularly related receiving channel portions facing the corresponding receiving channel portion of the next laterally spac d adjacent corner post member and being substantially parallel thereto; a corresponding plurality of substantially rectangular panel members each having vertically spaced, substantially parallel top and bottom edges and horizontally spaced, substantially parallel side edges adapted to be effectively vertically slidably received within a corresponding and different facing pair of said vertically directed receiving channel portions of the corresponding laterally spacedly adjacent pair of said corner post members in closing relationship across the corresponding side of said frame work means and controllably vertically slidably removable therefrom when desired; and a permanenttype closure cover means provided with fastening and locking means for controllably removably fastening said permanent-type closure cover means immediately above and in effective downward biasing relationshi with respect to said top edges of said panel members for effectively forcing said panel members downwardly whereby to effectively seal top and bottom edges thereof.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said edg s of said panel members are provided with compressible elastomeric edge gasket means.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said edges of said panel members are provided with compressible elastomeric edge gasket means.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, including coupling adapter means effectively interposed between said bottom hopper means and said upstanding framework means whereby to produce said effective coupling of said hopper member with respect to said upstanding framework means.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, including coupling adapter means effectively interposed between said bottom hopper means and said upstanding framework means whereby to produce said effective coupling of said hopper member with respect to said upstanding framework means, said coupling adapter means having a corresponding plurality of upwardly facing receiving trough portions positioned and arranged for effective receiving engagement with respect to the corresponding bottom edges of the corresponding panel members.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said edges of said panel members are provided with compressible elastomeric edge gasket means, and including coupling adapter means effectively interposed between said bottom hopper means and said upstanding framework means whereby to produce said effective coupling of said hopper member with respect to said upstanding framework means, said coupling adapter means having a corresponding plurality of upwardly facing receiving trough portions positioned and arranged for effective receiving engagement with the edge gasket means carried by the corresponding bottom edge of the corresponding one of said panel members for positive compression sealing engagement therewith.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, including coupling adapted means effectively interposed between said bottom hopper means and said upstanding framework means whereby to produce said effective coupling of said hopper member with respect to said upstanding framework means, said coupling adapter means having a corresponding plurality of upwardly facing receiving trough ortions positioned and arranged for effective receiving engagement with respect to the corresponding bottom edges of the corresponding panel members, each of said trough portions comprising an inner upstanding lip member, a bottom positioned transverse portion, and an outer upstanding lip member terminating at a level below the termination of said inner lip member.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, including coupling adapter means effectively interposed between said bottom hopper means and said upstanding framework means whereby to produce said effective coupling of said hopper member with respect to said upstanding framework means, and a corresponding plurality of threaded fastener means effectively vertically interconnecting the corresponding corner portions of said bottom hopper means, said intervening coupling adapter means and said bottom ends of said corresponding corner post members of said upstanding framework means in a controllably disengageable manner.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, including coupling adapter means effectively interposed between said bottom hopper means and said upstanding framework means whereby to produce said effective coupling of said hopper member with respect to said upstanding framework means, and a corresponding plurality of threaded fastener means effectively vertically interconnecting said cornerpositioned fastening projections of said fastening rim and ring to said corresponding top ends of said plurality of said corner post members of said upstanding framework means.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said plurality of substantially rectangular panel members each being made of transparent plate glass material and, therefore, effectively comprising a window panel member.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, including coupling adapter means effectively interposed between said bottom hopper means and said upstanding framework means whereby to produce said effective coupling of said hopper member with respect to said upstanding framework means, a corresponding plurality of threaded fastener means effectively vertically interconnecting the corresponding corner portions of said bottom hopper means, said intervening coupling adapter means and said bottom ends of said corresponding corner post members of said upstanding framework means in a controllably disengageable manner, and a corresponding plurality of threaded fastener means effectively vertically interconnecting said corner-positioned fastening projections of said fastening rim and ring to said corresponding top ends of said plurality of said corner post members of said upstanding framework means.

13. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, including a pair of alignment and registration pins carried in upstanding relationship at each of the corners of said coupling adapter means and a pair of similar alignment and registration pins carried in downwardly directed relationship by each of the fastening projections of said top fastening rim and ring member for aligning and registering cooperation with corresponding pairs of downwardly open and upwardly open receiving holes carried by corresponding bottom and top ends of said corner post members of said upstanding framework means.

14. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, said fastening rim and ring having a lower horizontally directed base portion adapted to be positioned immediately inwardly of the corresponding inside surface portions of corresponding ones of said panel members adjacent to and slightly below said top edge portions thereof and having an inwardly offset upstanding inner vertical wall portion, said inwardly offset upstanding inner vertical wall portion Of said fastening rim and ring having opposite side parts provided with horizontally aligned apertures provided with, and rotatively mounting, a bail and handle member which is shaped in substantially exact correspondence with the shape of corresponding outside surface parts of said inner upstanding vertical wall portion between said horizontally aligned apertures rotatively mounting said bail and handle member and, thus, when folded-away onto the corresponding upper surface parts of said horizontally directed base portion of said fastening rim and ring, causing said handle member to lie immediately outside of said corresponding outside surface parts of said upstanding wall portion thereof and immediately inside of the corresponding parts of said permanent-type closure cover means for said merchandise receptacle when mounted thereover, said bail and handle member being controllably rotatable from its horizontal folded-away position into an upstanding use position after removal of said permanenttype closure cover means, thus providing a convenient carrying handle member for carrying said merchandise receptacle from one location to another and for facilitating removal and replacement thereof.

15. Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said bail and handle member has inwardly alignedly directed retaining projections protruding inwardly through said horizontally aligned apertures and cooperable for top retaining abutment with an auxiliary temporary resilient closure cap means adapted to be positioned across said retaining and fastening rim and ring when said permanent-type closure cover means has been removed and said merchandise receptacle is to be moved by the use of said carrying handle member.

16. Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said bail and handle member has inwardly alignedly directed retaining projections protruding inwardly through said horizontally aligned apertures, and including a temporary auxiliary resilient closure cap means for said top fastening rim and ring when said permanent-type closure cover means has been removed therefrom, said auxiliary closure cap means being adapted to be placed thereacross and in overlapped engagement with a pair of opposite side parts thereof and having an intermediate portion provided with horizontally aligned, similar, outwardly facing edge slots adapted to be forcibly resiliently deflected downwardly so as to pass said inwardly alignedly directed retaining projections and into a position below the level thereof for lateral shifting and release into upward abutment with said inwardly alignedly directed retaining projections of said bail and handle member whereby to positively resiliently retain said temporary closure cap means over said top fastening rim and ring of said merchandise receptacle, said bail and handle member when pivoted into its horizontal folded-away position abutting one edge of said temporarily fastened auxiliary closure cap means in a manner positively preventing removal thereof until such time as said bail and handle member has been pivoted into its upstanding use position.

17. Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said bailand handle member has inwardly alignedly directed retaining projections protruding inwardly through said horizontally aligned apertures, and including a temporary auxiliary resilient closure cap means for said top fastening rim and ring when said permanent-type closure cover means has been removed therefrom, said auxiliary closure cap means being adapted to be placed thereacross and in overlapped engagement with a pair of opposite side parts thereof and having an intermediate portion provided with horizontally aligned, similar, outwardly facing edge slots adapted to be forcibly resiliently deflected downwardly so as to pass said inwardly alignedly directed retaining projections and into a position below the level thereof for lateral shifting and release into upward abutment with said inwardly alignedly directed retaining projections of said bail and handle member whereby to positively resiliently retain said temporary closure cap means over said top fastening rim and ring of said merchandise receptacle, said bail and handle member when pivoted into its horizontal folded-away position abutting one edge of said temporarily fastened auxiliary closure cap means in a manner positively preventing removal thereof until such time as said bail and handle member has been pivoted into its upstanding use position, said temporary auxiliary resilient closure cap means being provided with upwardly directing locking lip means positioned along at least one side edge of at least one of said edge slots and cooperable with the retaining projections of said bail and handle member for positively resiliently locking said retaining projections in said resilient retaining relationship with respect to said closure cap means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 933,287 9/1909 Cable 312' 1,981,710 11/1934 Rix 312296 3,018,148 1/1962 Probasco 312-39 x DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner. J. L. KOHNEN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MULTIPLE PANEL MERCHANDISE RECEPTACLE FOR A MERCHANDISE VENDING MACHINE, COMPRISING: A B OTTOM HOPPER MEANS; AN INTERMEDIATE UPSTANDING FRAMEWORK MEANS EFFECTIVELY COUPLED WITH RESPECT TO SAID BOTTOM HOPPER MEANS THEREABOVE AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM TO A PREDETERMINED EXTENT; SAID UPSTANDING FRAMEWORK MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF UPSTANDING, SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR, PARALLEL, SPACED CORNER POST MEMBERS, EACH HAVING A BOTTOM END AND A TOP END; A TOP FASTENING RIM AND RING OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SHAPE AS SEEN IN PLAIN VIEW AS THAT DEFINED AT A CORRESPONDING PLURALITY OF SPACED LOCATIONS BY SAID TOP ENDS OF SAID PLURALITY OF UPSTANDING CORNER POST MEMBERS OF SAID UPSTANDING FRAMEWORK MEANS, SAID TOP FASTENING RIM AND RING BEING PROVIDED WITH A CORRESPONDING PLURALITY OF CORNER-POSITIONED FASTENING PROJECTIONS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM INTO POSITIONS DIRECTLY OVERLYING AND FASTENED TO THE CORRESPONDING TOP ENDS OF SAID PLURALITY OF CORNER POST MEMBERS OF SAID UPSTANDING FRAMEWORK MEANS, EACH OF SAID CORNER POST MEMBERS BEING PROVIDED WITH TWO ANGULARLY RELATED RECEIVING CHANNEL PORTIONS FACING THE CORRESPONDING RECEIVING CHANNEL PORTION OF THE NEXT LATERALLY SPACED ADJACENT CORNER POST MEMBER AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL THERETO; A CORRESPONDING PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR PANEL MEMBERS EACH HAVING VERTICALLY SPACED, SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES AND HORIZONTALLY SPACED, SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL SIDE EDGES ADAPTED TO BE EFFECTIVELY VERTICALLY SLIDABLY RECEIVED WITHIN A CORRESPONDING AND DIFFERENT FACING PAIR OF SAID VERTICALLY DIRECTED RECEIVING CHANNEL PORTIONS OF THE CORRESPONDING LATERALLY SPACEDLY ADJACENT PAIR OF SAID CORNER POST MEMBERS IN CLOSING RELATIONSHIP ACROSS THE CORRESPONDING SIDE OF SAID FRAMEWORK MEANS AND CONTROLLABLY VERTICALLY SLIDABLY REMOVABLE THEREFROM WHEN DESIRED; A PERMANENTTYPE CLOSURE COVER MEANS PROVIDED WITH FASTENING AND LOCKING MEANS FOR CONTROLLABLY REMOVABLY FASTENING SAID PERMANENT-TYPE CLOSURE COVER MEANS IMMEDIATELY ABOVE AND IN RETAINING RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO SAID TOP EDGES OF SAID PANEL MEMBERS FOR EFFECTIVELY FORCING SAID PANEL MEMBERS DOWNWARDLY INTO EDGE-MOUNTED, POSITIVELY RETAINED RELATIONSHIP WITHIN EACH OF SAID CORRESPONDING AND DIFFERENT FACING PAIRS OF SAID VERTICALLY DIRECTED RECEIVING CHANNEL PORTINS OF THE CORRESPONDING, LATERALLY SPACEDLY ADJACENT PAIRS OF SAID CORNER POST MEMBERS. 